Message from UN Secretary General“The September 2013 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was a stark reminder of the need for urgent action on climate change. This document provides examples of steps taken by the United Nations system in its continued effort to promote sustainable operations, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move towards climate neutrality.

I am heartened by the commitment of each UN organization to improve its environmental performance and to do so collaboratively as ‘One UN’. I reiterate my gratitude to the leaders of UN agencies and their staff for their dedication to ‘greening the blue’………..

Message from UN Secretary General

………“We have made good progress and pledge to continue on this essential path. There is much the UN can learn from Member States and the private sector, and we look forward to sharing experiences and lessons as we work together to turn challenge into opportunity. ”

Ban Ki-moon, February 2014

Key figures of 2012

Number of UN staff(including peacekeeping operations)

224,755

Number of reporting institutions 64

Total emissions 1,714,188 tCO2eq

Emissions per capita 7.63 tCO2eq

Facility emissions per capita 2.77 tCO2

Air travel per capita 3.86 tCO2

Throughout 2013, the UN Department of Field Support continued to host and maintain the UN greenhouse gas calculator and reporting tool. Emissions from air travel were calculated using the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Carbon Emissions Calculator.

2012 emissions per capita, per agency, by source

2012 emissions from UN organizations

Throughout 2013, the UN Department of Field Support continued to host and maintain the UN greenhouse gas calculator and reporting tool. Emissions from air travel were calculated using the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Carbon Emissions Calculator.

Owing to the diversity and complexity of the UN System, it is easier for some organizations to collect data than for others. The table above reflects the best available data for 2012. A more detailed breakdown is available on the reverse of this poster and at www.greeningtheblue.org/what-the-UN-is-doing.

Emissions Reduction Strategies: an overview• Emission reduction efforts in the UN System include reductions in travel-

related emissions, schemes to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and raising awareness among staff.

• A growing number of UN agencies are choosing to procure Certified Emission Reduction (CER) certificates to offset emissions that cannot be eliminated, leading to partial or full climate neutrality.

• In 2013 the scope of environmental management in the UN grew to include waste and water. This wider scope informs the Environmental Management System (EMS) framework which has been developed to assist UN agencies.

• Some are already implementing their EMS and have chosen to incorporate additional areas such as energy, hazards, biodiversity and environmental health.

Emission reductions & cost savings in actionUnited Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS) ISO 14001 certification

In August 2013, UNOPS was awarded ISO 14001 certification for its commitment to protecting the environment. UNOPS developed an Environment Management System (EMS) to help staff determine how construction projects should handle waste, make the best use of natural resources, create opportunities for extra environmental benefits and protect plants, animals, water, air and the soil.

UNOPS in Jerusalem was the first field office to fully implement an EMS and achieve ISO 14001 certification. The EMS is now being rolled out at all UNOPS field offices.

UNOPS construction at the IGSS Regional Hospital of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Photo: ©UNOPS

Emission reductions & cost savings in actionInternational Telecommunication Union using remote meeting technology

ITU has been piloting a multilingual, interactive remote meeting service that allows delegates from across the world to meet together without the need to travel. This has resulted in substantive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and cost savings to Member States.

In the three years that the service has been in operation, approximately 1,000 meetings have been held involving more than 10,000 participants who have avoided travelling 38 million kilometres. This has resulted in savings of 24 million kilograms of CO2

and US$ 9 million.

ITU remote meeting service. Photo: ©ITU

ITU Saved:24 million kg CO2 and

US $ 9 million

Emission reductions & cost savings in actionFood and Agricultural Organizations (FAO) Waste Award

The FAO Regional Office for Latin America (FAORLC) was recognized for its recycling work with a 2013 Waste Award, granted by a national foundation devoted to environmental awareness in Chile. FAORLC succeeded in recycling 4.5 tonnes of old and unused electronic equipment.

This was just one of a series of measures undertaken. The office reduced paper usage by 47% between 2011 and 2013 by changing the print preferences in all computers and is now recycling 350 kg of glass, paper, cardboard, Tetrapak, cans and plastic bottles per month.

Reducing waste is one of the easiest ways for individuals within the UN to reduce their environmental footprint.

FAORLC:Paper usage down 47% between 2011 - 2013

Emission reductions & cost savings in actionThe International Finance Corporation Waste Challenge

In 2013, IFC held a Global Waste Challenge - the first coordinated, global effort to reduce IFC’s waste footprint. Nearly 1,000 staff in 65 countries participated. In Washington, IFC launched a new waste program which included a compost collection program; a new colour-coded recycling system; clear bin labelling; and online reference guides.

The result was an increase in the combined compost/recycle rate from 35% to 93%, according to an external waste audit. IFC HQ Waste Carnival. Photo: ©IFC

As part of the global effort, over a dozen IFC country offices from around the world also implemented waste reduction programs and adopted office-based targets, while nearly 1,000 staff worldwide made individual commitments.

IFC’s Chief Executive Officer Jin-Yong Cai has announced a target to reduce IFC’s paper consumption by 15% by July 2014.

Climate Neutral OrganizationsThese agencies have achieved full climate neutrality in part or all of their operations via a combination of reduction and offsetting activities

World Bank and IFC have achieved climate neutrality through Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) rather than UN approved Certified Emission Reductions (CERs).

Challenges and next steps• Explore environmental data gathering systems that allow year-on-

year comparisons and calculation of emissions per dollar spent.

• Achieve greater knowledge sharing and scale up existing solutions to improve on-the-ground performance in resource efficiency, energy consumption, and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

• UN staff will be assisted to gain a greater understanding of in-house sustainability through a new online tutorial, available to all UN agencies and to be launched early 2014.

• Forge a closer connection between the UN’s greening efforts and ongoing management reforms to integrate environmental sustainability into the UN’s core business.